Temperature-measuring device for surgical instruments.



L. D. BLISS.

TEMPERATURE MEASURING DEVICE FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21. 1916.

Patented July 11, 1916.

1 20 6 Q: 1 8 9 Z2 Z 5! j 'J i7 Swwzwlioz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS ID. BLISS, OF NORTH TAKOMA, QMARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOHOWARD B. BLISS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TEMPERATURE-MEASURING DEVICE FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J ly 11, 1916,

Application med ma 27, 1916. Serial No. 100,424.

To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS D. Buss, a citizen of the United States,residing at North Takoma, in the county of Montgom- State of Maryland,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTemperature-Measuring Devices for Surgical Instruments, of which thefollowing is a description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in temperaturemeasuring de vices for surgical instruments, and more particularly to adevice for indicating at a point distant therefrom the temperature ofthe operating head of the surgical instrument.

An object of the invention is to provide devices whereby the surfacetemperature of the head of the surgical instrument may be correctly andquickly measured.

A further object of the invention is to provide a temperature measuringdevice of the above character, together with means for regulating thetemperature of the head of the surgical instrument.

These and other objects will .in part be obvious and will in part behereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the drawings, which show by way of illustration one embodiment of theinventionz-Figure 1 is a side view of an instrument embodying myimprovements; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the headof the instrument; Fig. 3 is a diagramrigidly matic view, showing thecircuits, the heating coil, means for energizing the same, also thethermometer coil, and the temperature measuring devices associatedtherewith.

The invention consists generally in a surgical instrument having anoperating head which may be of any desired shape and which is rigidlysupported by a handle. This supporting head consists preferably ofahollow copper shell having a copper stud connected thereto andprojecting longitudinally of the head and around which is a heating coilso that the copper head may be heated electrically through this heatingcoil. The heating coil is connected to a suitable source of currentsupply, and in this .circuit with the heating coil is a rheostat andsuch other devices as may be desirable for controlling and protectingthe supply of heat to the heating coil. Also located withn the hollowhead is a copper sleeve which 1s connected to the head so that thesleeve is heated mainly through conductivity and, therefore, said sleevewill be practically the same temperature asthe outer surface of thecopper head. On the outer face of this copper sleeve and insulatedtherefrom by mica or other suitable insulation is a thermometer coilwhich is connected to a Wheatstone bridge. Suitable devices areassociated with the Wheatstone bridge so thatthe same may be calibratedfor indicating the surface temperature of the copper head at a pointdistant from the head.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:My improved surgical instrumentforming a central cylindrical chamber 4..

The extreme outer end of the head 1 is formed with an opening which isthreaded at 5, and a projecting copper stud 6 has a threaded shank 7which engages this threaded opening, and this rigidly supports the stud6 so that it projects into the chamber 4 and extends longitudinally ofthe supporting head 1.

Extending longitudinally of the chamber 1 is a copper sleeve 8 which isformed integral with a supporting collar 9 threaded at 10 to engage athread formed internally of the supporting head and back a shortdistance from the extreme open end thereof. The handle 2 which, as abovenoted, is preferably made of hard rubber, is adapted to extend into thehead 1 and is formed with an outwardly turned flange 11. Said handle issecured to the head by a cap 12, and rubber gaskets 13 and 14: may beapplied so as to form a rigid and tight water-proof connection betweenthe handle and the head of the instrument. The gasket 13 is forcedagainst the collar 9, and the gasket 14 is forced against the flange 11when the cap 12 is screwed onto the head of the instrument.

The head of the instrument, according to the present disclosure, isheated electrically. This is accomplished by a heating coil 15 whichsurrounds and extends substantially the entire length of the copper stud6. The wires 16 and 17 lead from the heating coil and are carried outthrough the handle 2 and to a'suitable source of current sup ly whichmay consist ofa generator 18". 11 one of the lines leadin from theheating coil is a rheostat 19. uitable fuses, switches, and lamps, ifdesired, ma also be used in this heatin coil circuit. y adjusting therheostat, tfie temperature to which the head of the surgical instrumentis heated may be varied, as desired.

The instrument referred to above is particularly adapted for the localtreatmentiby heat applicat1ons of internal surfaces of thehuman body. Itis essential that the temperature of this head shall be regulated withvery great certainty in order to avoid in ury to the very delicatemembrane covering the surface of the above describe able to uniformlyheat the entire operating parts thus treated. With the head and tograduate the temperature to which the instrument is heated so that anydesired temperature may-be obtained within certain limits. Owing to. theairspace between the heatin coil and the inner surface of the shellformin the operating head, and also owing to'the interposed sleeve 8above described, the shell or outer surface of the operating head willbe heated largely through the conduction of the heat through the metal,rather than by radiation.

In order that the surface temperature of the operating head may beaccurately measured, I have provided a temperature measuring devicewhich constitutes the mam and important feature of my mvention. Th1stemperature measuring device includes a thermometer coil 18 which iscoiled about the outer surface of the sleeve 8 and is insulatedtherefrom by mica or other suitable insulation, indicated at 19. Thereare three lines leading from this thermometer coil which are indicatedat 20, 21 and 22. The lines 20 and 21 are connected to the terminals 23and 24, respectively, of a Wheatstone bridge, indicated as a whole at 25in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Between the terminals 23 and 24 is aresistance, indicated at R, and the line 21 is shiftable along thisresistance, and

eters, and further descrlption thereof is not thought necessary. Theconnection to the resistance R is shifted until a point is reached wherethe closing of the switch 28 indicates zero in the galvanometer 30 andheating arrangement, I am then the scale 26, which is calibrated indegrees of temperature, indicates the temperature of the surface of theoperating head of the instrument.

, The sleeve 8 is made of copper and is integral with the collar 9 whichis directly supported by the copper shell 1 formin the body of the headof the instrument. is sleeve 8 is heated through conductivity mainlyand, therefore, the surface temperature of the operating head will besubstantially the same as the temperature of this sleeve. .Thethermometer coil is protected from direct radiation from theheating'ooilby being on the outer face of the sleeve and, therefore, thethermometer coil will indicate substantially the surface temperature ofthe operating head. The electrical thermometer above described with itscontrolling coil constructed and arranged so as to indicatesubstantially the surface temperature of the operating head affords ameans for almost instantly indicating the temperatureof the operatinghead and substantially the exact temperature thereof. While I have shownand described electrical means for heating the operating head it will beunderstood that other ways of heating the head may be used withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appendedclaims, as the essential feature of my invention is the temperaturemeasuring device with the controlling coil constructed and arranged foraccomplishing the purposes above stated.

It will be obvious that minor changes in the details of construction andthe arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spiritof the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. A surgical instrument comprising anoperating head, means for supporting said head, means for heating saidoperating head, and an electrical thermometer including a controllingcoil constructed and. arranged relative to the supporting head so as tobe responsive to the surface temperature of said head. I

2. A surgical instrument comprising a hollow copper head, a handle forsupporting sa1d head, an electrical heating coil located within saidhead for heating the same, and an electrical thermometer including acontrolling coil disposed within said head and positioned so as to beresponsive to the surface temperature of the head.

3. A surgical instrument comprising a hollow copper head, a handlesupporting sa1d head, a copper stud secured internally in sa1d head and.projecting longitudinally thereof. and an electric heating coilsurrounding said stud, a copper sleeve secured to said head, andsurrounding and spaced from said stud, and an electric thermometerincluding a controlling coil disposed on the outer face of said sleeve.

4. A surgical instrument including a hollow copper head, an internalcopper stud secured to the head and projecting longitudinally thereof,said stud being spaced from the inner walls of the head, a copper sleevesecured to the other end of said head internally thereof and extendinglongitudinally of the head and surrounding said stud, said sleeve beingspaced from said stud, an electrical heating coil surrounding said stud,an electric thermometer including a controlling coil surrounding theouter surface of said sleeve, and a handle for supporting said head.

5. A surgical instrument including a hollow copper head,-an internalcopper stud secured to the head and projecting longitudinally thereof,said stud being spaced from the inner walls of the head, a copper sleevesecured to the other end of said head internally said sleeve beingspaced from said stud, an electrical heating coil surrounding said stud,an electric thermometer including a controlling coil surrounding theouter surface of said sleeve, a hollow hard rubber handle having aflange, a cap adapted to engage said head and secure the flange of thebandle thereto, and gaskets interposed between the flange and the capwhereby a tight joint is made between the handle and the head.

- In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

LOUIS D. BLISS.

Witnesses:

ALBERT POPKINS, RUTH L. J onus.

thereof and extending longitudi- (p nally of the head and surroundingsaid stud,

